Avicularia sp. 'Metallica' M6 (Metallic Pink Toe Tarantula)

Avicularia sp. 'Metallica' M6 (Metallic Pink Toe Tarantula)

The Metallic Pink Toe Tarantula, or Avicularia sp. 'Metallica' M6, is an arboreal tarantula from South America, most likely across a wide range through Guyana and Brazil. Adults have blue legs, a blue carapace (head), and a lightly reddish abdomen, with white tipped hairs over the body that give the blue its metallic finish and are where the Metallica name comes from. There is far less red here than on a traditional pink toe, so the animal comes across mostly blue, white and black, and it grows to about 6 inches in diagonal leg span. Females live about 10 to 12 years, with males maturing faster and typically living only 2 to 3 years. This species is also docile and easygoing, one of the more approachable arboreals in the hobby, and a strong pick for a keeper who wants blue without an old world temperament. This new world tarantula for sale makes an excellent addition to a captive collection, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep Avicularia sp. 'Metallica' M6?

• Stunning Coloration: Blue legs and carapace with white tipped hairs across the body for a metallic finish, over an abdomen that only carries a light touch of red. Mostly blue, white and black, which is not how a traditional pink toe reads.
• Colorful Spiderlings: The blue is already there on young animals at a lower intensity, and it deepens with every molt rather than arriving all at once.
• Heavy Webber: Tubes off high on cork bark and keeps adding to it, so a tall enclosure fills in properly.
• Docile Temperament: Easygoing and approachable for an arboreal, which is a large part of why keepers reach for a pink toe when they want blue.
• Hobby Favorite: Blue is what most keepers are chasing, and the metallic pinktoe tarantula has been around long enough to have a real following. Ask for a metallic tarantula at a show and this is often what comes up.

How should Metallic Pink Toe Tarantula be kept?

• Adult Size: Metallic Pink Toe Tarantula spiderlings hatch around 0.5 to 0.75 inch and grow to about 6 inches in diagonal leg span as full adults, so every size below is sized ahead of where that animal is today.
• Enclosure and Rehousing: Sized in three stages as this species grows toward its adult max, from a first enclosure through two rehouses. See the size you're considering below for the exact dimensions at that stage.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or a real piece of wood in the enclosure is not just decoration, it is one of the most important pieces of this setup. It gives the animal somewhere real to grip and start laying web right away, and with this genus in particular, that first piece of bark makes a drastic difference in how quickly a new arrival settles in and starts webbing. We have seen a real increase in early survival success tied directly to a bark based setup versus a bare enclosure, so this is one detail worth getting right from day one.
• Temperature: 75 to 85°F, the optimal range for most tropical species like this one. Cooler temperatures are survivable, but increase the odds of trouble molting and growing, so we recommend staying in this range for the best results. Most keepers do not need any extra heating to hit it.
• Humidity: Moderate to high, with the substrate kept lightly moist rather than wet, and strong cross ventilation. Airflow matters more here than maximizing humidity, so skip a fully screened top, which dries an enclosure out too fast.
• Water: In the wild, arboreal tarantulas get most of their water from rainfall, drinking droplets off leaves, webbing, and enclosure walls rather than standing water. Misting the enclosure once a week is required, not optional, since it's this species' primary water source. A shallow water dish placed up on a piece of cork rather than on the floor is still worth keeping as a backup, and keeps crickets from drowning before they get eaten, but it should never replace regular misting.
• Diet: Prey size scales with the animal, from pinhead sized feeders on the smallest spiderlings up to larger prey as it grows. See the size you're considering below for the exact prey measurement at that stage.
• Temperament: Docile but fast, quicker to bolt for its retreat than to stand its ground, and capable of jumping when startled. This genus is genuinely easy once one thing is right: keep the air moving with real cross ventilation, keep the substrate lightly moist rather than wet, and give it real cork bark from the sling stage.

Which size should I choose?

• 0.75-1" Spiderling: about the size the species hatches at, the one that lets you watch its entire growth and color change happen under your own care from the very start.
• 1-1.25" Spiderling: a well-started spiderling past the earliest, most delicate stretch, with the blue already building and plenty of color change still ahead to watch.
• 1.25-1.5" Juvenile: a step further along with some of the earliest growth already behind it, for anyone who wants a little less waiting before the size and color really start to show.

Pick the size you want above. Each size still has its own care guidance suited to exactly where that animal is today, not a generic version stretched across every size.

Are there any additional notes or considerations?

• Pink Toe Spiders?: You will sometimes see these called pink toe spiders online. Tarantulas are arachnids, not spiders, and definitely not true spiders, the kind most people picture when they hear the word spider. This is one of the heavy bodied, hairy, long lived tarantulas that gets lumped in with that name anyway. If you searched for a pink toe spider and landed here, you are in exactly the right place.
• Not Eating? If this tarantula ever skips a meal, try prekilling the prey item and placing it up high in the enclosure rather than leaving live prey to wander. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons any tarantula, arboreal species especially, will refuse food, so keeping up with misting and a full water dish is usually the fastest way to get it back on track.

Looking for similar species?

• Browse our Arboreal Tarantulas and New World Tarantulas collections to explore related care profiles.

Frequently asked questions about Avicularia sp. 'Metallica' M6?

• What do I do when I first get my tarantula? As soon as it arrives, mist the enclosure so there is clear moisture on the webbing, substrate, or enclosure wall, and keep an eye on it until you actually see it take a drink. Shipping is dehydrating, and an arboreal especially will not settle in or start eating until it has rehydrated properly, so this is the one step worth not skipping on day one. Once you have seen it drink, let it settle in undisturbed for a few days before offering its first meal.